Disclaimer: Kim Possible remains forever out of my grasp. I can dream though, and this plot is it.

A/N: Holy Sh**! Another chapter? Already? Nah, got to be a joke, its too soon, right?... Wrong! Here it is! Hot of the presses... Tablet... Old sayings just don't fit the way they used to, huh.

Anyway! Just finished giving this baby a once over and judjed it good enough to post. I want to thank everyone who has favorited and is following and has reviewed. You guys keep me going.

This story has gotten a much bigger reception than I ever though it would and it makes me giiddy.

Without further ado, read on!

As I have requested for the past nine chapters: Please Read, Review and, Above All, Enjoy!

Chapter 10: ...And Recovery

Ron began to doze as soon as he settled in for the short wait until Mrs. P came to get him. His thoughts began to drift.

He had done it. Despite him wanting nothing more than to curl into a ball and bawl, he had done it. Followed that urge he couldn't explain and done it. He had stopped Drakken.

But now that he was done with that, the urge was gone. The primal drive that had pushed all other thoughts out of his mind was gone. And its absence begged to be filled. Thoughts that had been pushed to back burners made their way forward.

Kim she... She wouldn't replace him like that, would she? She wouldn't just... leave him behind for some pretty face that rolled into town. They had a history. Thirteen years of a deep and meaningful friendship, five of witch they had spent globe trotting all over the world performing a, sometimes dangerous, public service. They had a bond that has been years in the making and tempered in fires of battle. There was no way it could be trumped by some guy in a few short months...

He... He knew boys were her weakness. He didn't need some weird experiment to tell him that. I mean come on! She risked being sucked into nothingness for a date with one whose last name practically spelled monkey. Of course boys were her weakness! Not even he was that dense.

But... it didn't matter right? There was a limit. She would never be such a fuc...

Poke, poke, poke.

...

Did... someone with a delicately small finger just poke him on the cheek? Nah, couldn't b...

Pooooooooke.

...

Someone with small delicate hands did just poke him on the cheek. Why would someone do th...

Piiiiiinch!

Whomever had been poking him before had apparently gotten annoyed at the little response they received, and so had decided to take things up a notch. This meant pinching hard. And not just pinching, but pinching and pulling. Ron's cheek was pulled up and down and sideways in a way that brought all of his consciousness to the fore at once.

"Ow... Ooooow, wha...?" Ron could ignore it no longer. He blearily opened his eye and looked to the side of the offender, who quickly let go of his cheek. Staring uncomprehendingly at the two people standing next to his bed for a few seconds before he smiled in warm recognition. He knew these two quite well.

"Well..." He said, having a pretty good guess as to why they were there when they shouldn't. "What is tonight's mission, mini-super-spy?" He asked the two kids that had found their way to his bedside.

One was Sandy, a seven year old with very short blonde hair that had recently grown back. She had blue eyes and more energy than she should. She was often referred to as the 'Bane of Nurses' for her love of hiding and sneaking around the hospital. Something for which, to the chagrin of all hospital staff, she had ample skill. She was on the tail end of being treated for Leukemia.

The other was Jake, an eight year old with brown eyes and glasses. His head was bandaged much like Ron's. He was a lanky kid who found most of his fun deep in a book. Unfortunately for him, ever since coming to Middleton Medical Center to have a tumor removed, by .P herself, he had been caught in the storm that was Sandy and dragged all over the hospital on various misadventures. Though Ron was sure he enjoyed it more than he let on.

Both of them were current residents of Middleton Medical Center's famed children's ward. And had apparently paid him an unauthorized visit. Dr. Hearty was probably pitching a fit.

Ron thought all this as Sandy puffed her chest out in pride.

"We were given very urgent missions!" She said importantly. "First infiltration! Easy. Second, recan... um... recono..." She scrunched her face in concentration.

"Reconnaissance." Jake said helpfully, standing beside Sandy and staring at Ron.

"Right!" Sandy nodded. "We need to find out what's going on. And third..." She went on.

"Are you ok, Ron?" Jake asked simply, cutting her off.

"Hey!" Sandy gave him a venomous glare. Rather cute, actually. "I was suppose to ask that..."

"You were taking too long." He answered smoothly. "Hi, Rufus."

"Hn! Hi!" Rufus waved from his place on Ron's shoulder.

"Muu..." Sandy said dejectedly, shoulders sagging a bit at her stolen thunder. Still, she looked up at Ron and waited for him to answer.

Ron had to hold in a chuckle for fear of his chest flaring up. He contended himself with giving them a warm smile.

"Yeah, I'm Ok." He told them.

"You don't sound ok..." Sandy said, looking him over. "You sound like a frog."

"Ok..." Ron said, a little defensive. "I got a little beat up on a mission but..."

"And you look like a pirate mummy." Jake said helpfully.

"Alright..." Ron said in defeat. "So I got beat up a lot. We still won..." Ron said in a grumble. "But its nothing that wont heal with a few nights sleep."

"More like a few month's sleep." Jake said, poking Ron's bandaged right arm.

"Ok, Mr. Smartypants." Ron said, glaring a little. "But yeah, the Ronman is benched for a while... anyway, did you tell any of the staff that you came here?" Ron asked.

Sandy shook her head with a prideful smile.

"Nu uh." She said. "We were like ghosts in the crowd. No one saw or heard us go..." She said mysteriously.

"You guys realize Dr. Hearty's going to blow up right?" Ron said, mischievous thoughts swirling around. "He's probably turning red already..." He mused loud enough for them hear.

They both visibly blanched at the notion. He could see regret flash across their faces for moment before being replaced by determination.

"W-We know." Jake aid, trying to sound brave. "But... um..."

"We had to come..." Sandy finished for him. "Since the others would have gotten caught." She looked at him in way that melted his heart into a soupy puddle for her to play in. "You're really ok?" She asked again, poking his arm like Jake had done.

Ron was a bit unnerved by the feeling. His arm felt uncomfortably hot, yet it was practically numb to anything else. He barely felt their touch.

"Not really." Ron confessed. Most people would have lied, but he thought their honest feelings deserved honesty in return. "But like smartypants said, a few months of sleep and I will be." He finished with a smile.

"So..." Ron said suddenly, deciding it was time to derail the gloomy mood. "What was that about a third mission?"

"Oh!" Sandy said, perking right back up. "Extraction! If we could, we had to get you back to base quickly." She said, trying to look serious. But she was just too cute to pull it off.

"Oh..." Ron hummed speculatively. "And why am I needed back at base?"

"Kaylee got her second round today..." Jake said simply. Sandy nodded sadly.

"Ah." Ron said in understanding. Kaylee was a recent addition to the ward. Like Sandy she was fighting cancer but, unlike Sandy, she was only getting started. Chemo took it out of an adult, so to a kid...

"Kaylee's sad..." Sandy said, griping and pawing at the bed sheets. "We were wondering if... maybe you could come and make it ok...?" She asked glancing up at him with a down-turned face. Her expression hopeful and being matched by Jakes subtle one.

As exhausted as Ron was, he was no match for those looks. Those were raw Puppy Dog Pouts right there. There was no defense against them. Not that he'd need one, though. The thought of refusing never entered his mind.

"Ok!" Ron said suddenly, making them jump and his throat hurt. "We need a plan though, since I cant move on my own..." He wondered aloud, as if he hadn't worked out what to do. "Any ideas?" He asked them. Playing the game he had many times before.

"Ah!" Sandy exclaimed, seeing a chance to impress. She thought hard. "Um... um..."

"We need someone's help." Jake said simply.

"Uuu..." Sandy deflated.

"Exactly. A nurse most likely." Ron said. "We need to turn one to our cause. What do we have to work with, Mini-spy"

"Oh! Uh..." Sandy pat herself down, finding something in her pajama's pocket. "I have some Gummy Bears! Only the yucky yellow ones though..."

"Perfect." Ron reassured her. "What about you smarty-pants?"

"I got nothing." Jake aid simply.

"And that's ok too." Ron said, gesturing for Sandy to hand over the candy. "Alright, take cover and watch the master at work."

"Ack!" Jake exclaimed as Sandy pulled him around the bed and behind the recliner. Once she was satisfied that they were hidden she gave Ron thumbs up.

Ron nodded and pressed the red button on the railing of the bed to summon a nurse. He hoped it wasn't sweet-nurse that answered the call...

X

Ron and he kids rolled along the packed hallways of the hospital on the way to the children's ward.

The nurse that had answered the call had, thankfully, not been the sweet-nurse. But it had been a stubborn one. He recognized her quickly as a new hire, eager to please and slave to the rules. She wouldn't budge on the 'You should be resting, not strolling around the hospital.' thing.

He had hoped whoever it was would play along for the kids, actually taking the candy as a 'bribe' to help him get along to the children's ward. Yet the second she had laid eyes on the kids she had begun escorting them back. It took the combined might of two raw Puppy Dog Pouts with the dreaded Injured Puppy Pout (copyright pending) to break down her defenses.

There was no defense against such things though.

And so the stubborn-nurse, now identified as Karen, sullenly munched on a gummy bear while she pushed Ron, now on a wheelchair, towards their destination. Jake and Sandy walked beside him. Jake nonchalantly while Sandy looked like a marching robot. She was doing her best to appear 'casual', and failing hilariously.

It had been an interesting experience, getting out of the bed and onto the chair. His right arm was now in a sling that hung off his uninjured shoulder. And while he could still move most of his body and his legs supported most of his weight, it hurt. With everyone's help he had managed, but even sitting had hurt. How was that possible? How the hell had he managed to strain his butt?

She had also protested the wisdom of taking a sword around a hospital and it a children's ward. But he had been adamant. There was no way he was letting the Lotus out of his sight. So it currently lay propped against is shoulder, held in place by the sling.

Wondering about many other things they arrived at the nurses station that marked the entrance to the children's ward. He immediately spotted Dr. Hearty, whispering fiercely to a nurse who had a resigned look about her. He could probably guess at the topic, or pair of topics, that was the subject of their conversation.

"Ah!" The nurse exclaimed once she caught sight of them.

"Hmn?" Dr. Hearty hummed, following her gaze. "Hmph! Should have known..." He said, walking around the counter to intercept them, to the relief of the nurse he had just been chewing out.

Jake and Sandy promptly took cover behind Ron, throwing him under the bus. Little traitors...

"Hey there, Doc." Ron said nervously as he neared. "How ya been?"

Dr. Hearty stood in front of him and looked him over with a scrutinizing eye that only decades of plying his craft could grant. Dr. Hearty was the head of the Child Medicine wing of the Middleton Medical Center. Had been for the last thirty years since the wing had been built. He had a head of unkept white hair, stubble on his face that said he hadn't shaved in a few days and sharp blue eyes. All in all he looked like a scruffy old Doctor with a temper to match.

"I'd heard you were in the hospital." Dr. Hearty said after he finished his inspection. "Should have known that's where they disappeared to. Looks like you finally messed up, huh, boy."

"Ha, ha... Haaa." Was all Ron could say. Yep, he was angry. Time for a distraction. "How's Kaylee?" He asked, getting a jump on their goal.

"Of course..." Dr. Hearty said as if something had just been confirmed. He shot Sandy and Jake, who had started coming out of hiding, a sharp glare. They scurried back behind Ron. He turned and walked into the ward without another word.

Karen switched out with the chewed out nurse and went on her way, plopping another gummy bear into her mouth as she went.

"Hey Joan." Ron greeted as the nurse pushed him forward to catch up with Dr. Hearty. Joan nod in acknowledgement. They walked into the ward which consisted of beds running along the walls to the left and right. Each section was divided by thick and heavy curtains. Most of the beds were occupied by children with either a serious illness or injury.

"She's not doing as well as I'd hoped..." Dr. Hearty said softly once they had caught up, so as not to disturb the other children and their parents or guardians. Many of those whose curtain was open gave Ron a quizzical look as he rolled by. "She's exhausted, obviously, but she also complained of some headaches. We've had to readjust her medications twice already." They arrived at one of the curtained sections of the ward and gently pulled it open.

Inside lay a young ten year girl with long brown hair on a hospital bed. She had an IV attached to her arm. It was obvious from the look on her face that she felt ill and rest was proving elusive. To the left of the bed, sitting on a recliner, was a young woman with similar looks. The woman looked too young to be her mother so Ron guessed her to be Kaylee's sister or other close relative. She frowned at the sudden intrusion.

"Doctor..." She said, a look of worry crossing her tired eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing to worry over." Dr. Hearty reassured her, walking to the side of the bed the recliner was on. "Just a nosy volunteer and some meddling children who want to pay Kaylee a visit." He gestured to Ron, Jake and Sandy. "Allow me to introduce Ronald Stoppable, a regular Sunshine Spreader here. The two small troublemakers I believe you're already acquainted with."

"Hi." Ron said awkwardly, Dr. Hearty's introduction being less than flattering. "Nice to meet you, um..."

"Jess..." She said in response, unsure of what was happening. "Uh..."

At that moment Sandy walked around Ron to Jess, giving Dr. Hearty as wide a berth as she could. She stood next to the recliner and pat Jess's lap reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Jessy!" Sandy said with a confident smile. "Ronnie will make it ok!"

Ron smiled gently at the confident way Sandy spoke. As if he had a cure all magical spell handy at all times. How he wished he had, though...

He looked over Kaylee where she slept. From her expression it was obvious that whatever sleep she had been able to fall under was anything but restful. Her long hair already thinning, showing signs of the side effects Chemotherapy was best known for.

Sandy and Jake came to him for help, yet he knew of only one way to do anything. A way that was a bit out of place this late at night... many of the parents nearby would probably have issues with it but... the more he looked at her the more he felt the need to do something.

Resigning himself to being thoroughly chewed out for what he was about to do, he gestured for Joan to push him closer to the right side of the bed.

"Al right, buddy." Ron said, tapping the chest pocket of his pajama top. "We're on."

"Ho!" Rufus squeaked affirmative, popping out of the pocket.

Rufus crawled out and onto Ron's shoulder and, using his outstretched arm as a bridge, walked over onto the bed. Jess was about to protest but a subtle gesture from Dr. Hearty stopped her. She watched with trepidation as Rufus walked gently up to Kaylee's face, worried as to what he was going to do. Kaylee had only just managed to fall asleep...

To her dismay, Rufus began gently tapping on her face, trying to wake her. Kaylee began to stir, whatever fragile sleep she had found leaving readily. Blearily, she opened her eyes to Rufus.

"Hi." Rufus squeaked, waving at her with a smile.

Kaylee stared at him with glazed eyes before smiling weakly in recognition.

"Rufus..." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked to one side, then the other in search. If Rufus was here then...

"Sup, girl." Ron said with with a grin.

"Ron..." She said, smile widening a bit until she looked him over. "Are you ok?" She asked. She had been awake when Sandy had come with news that she had seen Ron hurt somewhere in the hospital. She had wanted to wait for them to return but was forced to sleep along with the others.

"Of course." He said, waving off her concern. "Just getting a jump start on my Halloween costume. 'Crippled Samurai Mummy' is my theme this year. What do ya think?"

"..." Kaylee stared at him, uncomprehendingly. "Um..."

"So..." Ron said, cutting her off and filing the idea away for later. Part of it had merit. "So, heard you got your second round of Chemo today."

She nodded. Rufus pet her head soothingly.

"Hmn..." Ron hummed thoughtfully. He narrowed his eye suspiciously at her. "Didn't make you forget to practice, right?"

"No." Kaylee said, her voice a little stronger and bristling at the implication. To the side Jess frowned. Was he the reason her sister had insisted on...

"Yeah, you probably did." Ron nodded sagely. "Probably found another flower and forgot."

"No!" She said before blushing a little. "Well, I did... it was yellow... But I remembered later!" She defended her pride.

"Its ok, its ok." He said, reaching over and squeezing her hand gently in understanding.

"Ok, ok." Rufus followed up, patting her head soothingly.

"But I did!" Kaylee persisted. She had, even when she was told she shouldn't and that she needed to rest calmly. She loved homework! "I can prove it!"

"Hmn..." Ron sat back on his chair and looked her in the eye. "Really?"

She nodded sharply, nearly knocking Rufus over. Her mouth was set in a defiant pout.

"I guess you're ready for a test then?" Ron raised an eyebrow.

Kaylee said nothing, her pout got more pronounced and he could see a glint in her eyes. So cute.

"Ok, then." Ron said with a smile, seeing her cheeks redden in indignation. "Lets do this! But we have to it right..."

And here he went, this was the part he was probably gonna get in trouble for... oh, well. Might as well have fun with it.

"Mini-S!" He called looking at Sandy.

"Yes!" Sandy snapped to attention, body shaking with energy.

"Rally the troops for emergency maneuvers!" He ordered. "This is definitely a drill!"

"Roger!" Sandy said in the affirmative.

"Smarty-J!" He called to Jake next.

"Hmn?" Jake said, disinterested. He knew what was coming and knew better than to fight it.

"I saw some new faces as we came in." Ron explained. "Teach em the chorus!"

"Do I have to?" Jake asked, hoping for an alternative.

""Yes"" Ron and Sandy said in unison. The latter grabbing him by the shirt and dragging him onto the middle of the ward.

"Joan!" Ron went on, looking to the nurse. "Bring on the snacks!"

Joan raised an eyebrow at the order and tone.

"Um... uh..." Ron stammered under her gaze. "Please?"

Joan watched him squirm for a bit before shrugging and walking away. Ron wasn't sure if that was a yes or a no, but decided not to press the issue.

"What's happening?" Jess asked, losing her patience. Her sister needed her rest and here came a stranger in a wheelchair causing a ruckus.

"Don't worry." Ron reassured with a smile. "Kay and I can teach you the chorus by the time we're ready to start."

"Chorus to what?" Jess asked, moving to help Kaylee sit up when she saw her struggle.

"RONSHINE TIME!" Sandy yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice ringing clearly through the hall. Apparently going bed by bed had been too slow for her tastes.

"The Song." Ron said with a twinkle in his eye and a maniacal grin.

He tried very hard to ignore how very tired he suddenly felt.

X

Anne marched through the halls with a frown and a purpose. She had just finished her business in the hospital for the night and had gone to pick up Ron when... lo and behold! He was gone, leaving nothing but a rumpled bed.

After a through interrogation of Rodriguez's staff she had learned that Ron had left the ward shortly after her. Needless to say she was angry at him. He was in no state to be going on strolls!

She quickly left the ward in hot pursuit. Asking anyone she could if they had seen him gone by. Him being easy to remember, not every day a heavily bandaged man on a wheelchair with a sword passed by, she was quickly led towards the children's ward on the other side of the campus.

Nearing the hallway and nurses station that served as entrance to the ward she saw a small crowd of nurses and parents in front of the entrance. Dr. Hearty stood in the middle of it, hands clasped behind his back, stoically watching over whatever had caught their attention.

"Dr. Hearty." Anne greeted, coming to stand next to him. She could hear some sort of commotion coming from inside the ward but paid it no mind. She could hear children laughing so it couldn't be bad.

"Dr. Possible." He greeted her likewise after a glance in her direction. He went back to his vigil. "You are here for young Stoppable, yes?" He asked her in his gruff voice.

"Yes." She answered. "Have you seen him?"

"Hmn." He said, gesturing towards the hall with his head.

Following his gaze Anne saw for the first time what had caught the attention of the people around her.

Every curtain that separated patients from each other had been pulled back, leaving the entire hall open. Every child that could stand was in the middle of the ward singing and dancing under the somewhat worried eyes of their family. Those that couldn't stand simply sang from their beds, clapping along.

The song itself was incredibly silly. Jumping through topics like playing hide-and-seek to collecting stamps to singing the song itself. She noticed that after each chorus one of the children would sing a short solo, which was often sung through blushing cheeks. Each time one finished the other children's singing would suffer through a giggle fit before they could pick the chorus up again. Afterwards another child would solo.

Anne wondered briefly how they determined the order when she noticed a little pink blur jumping from head to head, to their delight. Whomever's head Rufus stopped at had to sing, all the while Rufus danced. Once the solo was over he would jump from head to head through the chorus, choosing the next soloist.

Anne watched, transfixed by the scene. She had never seen something like this before. Sure, every once in a while a celebrity would come or an activity would be held to lift the spirits of these children. But nothing ever worked to this extent. The smiles the children wore those times had been of either awe or mild interest, rarely were they smiles of actual fun like this.

She finally noticed Ron where he sat next to one of the beds occupied by a young girl, maybe twelve years old, with brown hair that appeared to be thinning. Both of them sang, keeping time by either clapping or, in Ron's case, taping the armrest of his chair.

Taking in the sight, she followed Rufus as he jumped from head to head onto a bed where he scurried up to the head of its occupant. The young girl giggled all the while before starting on her part of the song. She sang of flowers, trees and nuts. Once she was done she looked smugly at Ron who shrugged with a wide smile in a gesture that said 'Alright, alright.'.

"First time seeing this?" Dr. Hearty's gruff voice brought her out of her musings.

"What?" She asked, not comprehending.

"This." He gestured the ward. "Used to be a rare sight, once upon a time. Less so since he joined the spreaders. Most people are surprised the first time."

"He does this often?" Anne asked, looking to Ron. Rufus had just jumped onto his head so he had begun to sing a solo. But his voice being as hoarse as it was it barely carried and his words were oddly slurred. The children booed and teased causing him to grab Rufus and toss him onto the head of one of he children. He huffed and sulked while they laughed at his reaction.

"Often enough..." Dr. Hearty answered. "That the children look forward to his every visit. It gets incredibly annoying at times." He said in a grumble. "'Where's Ron?', 'Is Ron coming this week?', 'I'm boooored, why aren't Ronnie and Ruf here yet?'. Hmph!" He said, never taking his eyes off the happenings inside the ward.

Anne glanced at Dr. Hearty briefly, mulling over this new information. She looked back at Ron, who had finished sulking and was singing the chorus again along with everyone else. Feeling a surge of pride in her chest at what he had been doing while no one was looking, she watched over the scene. As she watched she noticed that Ron's tapping was becoming out of sync with the song. Every time he blinked his eye would remain closed for a heartbeat longer than it should.

"Doctor..." Anne began. As heartwarming as what she was witnessing was, Ron still needed to rest. And so did the children.

"Hmn." Dr. Hearty hummed, moving towards the throng of laughing children without another word.

"Alright, that's enough ruckus for one night." Dr. Hearty said, cutting into the song without hesitation. "Of to bed, all of you."

"""Awwww.""" Every single kid in the ward, and a naked mole rat, whined in unison. Many voiced their complaints.

"But I'm not sleepy..."

"But Ronnie just got here..."

"It was my turn..."

"Oh?" Dr. Hearty raised his eyebrows, all complaints ceased abruptly. Those who had been there long enough knew that tone. "You're throats all sound a little sore..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"""Geh!""" A few kids gagged, the few that had pushed too hard in the past and had received bitter punishment. They scattered like leaves in the wind, dragging along those that were yet ignorant of horror the old Doctor was capable of.

"That's right, scurry along ya little delinquents." Dr. Hearty said, watching them get back to their respective beds with the help of whomever was watching over them for the night. "Besides, it looks like Stoppable is the most tired out of all of you." He said, gesturing towards the cause of unrest. Every young set of eyes turned to the teen in question.

Ron had sat through the whole thing, his hand still trying to tap along with a song that was no longer being sung. It took his brain a few moments to realize that he had been spoken about and a few more to react.

"Wha...?" Ron open his eye blearily and tried to focus on Dr. Hearty. "N... Nah, I'm no... No sheepy..." He said, mumbling the end of the sentence too low to be heard. "Cute sheepy..."

"Come on, Ron." Anne said walking behind hi chair and disengaging the brakes. "Lets go home, you need rest."

"N... Na... Naaaa..." He tried to say as he was led away. "Kay." He said giving up, though it could be debated if there had been any resistance to begin with. "You guys practice good, eh?" He said to the kids around him. "Mini-S, Smarty-J. You good looking out, ya?" He said, throwing a feeble air-fist-bump in their general direction. "Later..."

The children said their goodbyes to Ron as Anne rolled him out of the ward. He waved tiredly at them as he passed by. He suddenly felt so tired...

As soon as he was gone Dr. Hearty made his way to Sandy's bed. She had just been tucked in by her father, who had taken her disappearance and subsequent reappearance in stride. She watched him approach with clear fear in her blue eyes. Her elation at the utter success of her mission fading fast.

"So, miss Jackson..." Dr. Hearty said, taking out a tongue depressor out of his lab coat. "Lets check how sore your throat is."

Sandy looked to her father for help, but he had already sat down and seemed engrossed in a book. Looked to be a good one if his smile was anything to judge by...

She looked across the hall to where Jake was with his mom, but it looked like he was already asleep... the traitor.

"Say 'Ahh'." Dr. Hearty ordered, closing in.

"Uuuu..." Was all she could manage.

X

The entrance to the Middle Medical Center had finally quieted down sometime past midnight. Thanks to the exemplary work of the Center's staff, an air of normalcy had returned to the center's lobby. Although it was still as busy as if it were midday, things were finally manageable.

It was at this time that a somewhat scratched up motorcycle arrived with two damp and miffed passengers.

"We would've made it." Kim said angrily.

"Kim..." Eric answered, annoyed at how many times he'd had to explain the same point. "The needle was below 'E'. 'E' stands for empty. We had less than empty!"

Of course, he had been preaching to empty air seeing as Kim had nearly leaped off the bike as soon as it had stopped moving. She ran through the double-automatic doors before they had even fully opened.

Eric grumbled about ungrateful girlfriends as he picked up her helmet from where she'd tossed it and went to park the bike.

Kim sped through the lobby, weaving through the crowd as she took the most direct route towards the help desk.

"Excuse me, sorry..." She said as she lightly bumped a few people. "Coming through." She said finally arriving at her destination.

"Welcome to Middleton Med... Oh!" The young receptionist began her automatic greeting before she noticed who had just walked up to her desk. "Hello K..."

"Yeah, hi Nance." Kim said, cutting the pleasantries. "What room is Ron in? Ron Stoppable."

"Oh, Ron? He isn't in any room..." She began.

"What? Then where is he?" Kim asked, getting worried. "He's... He's not in surgery, is he?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." Nancy reassured quickly. "Although, he did seem very hurt. Honestly, I don't know what..."

"Where is he?" Kim pressed, impatience ringing in her every word.

"Oh, you just missed him." Nancy said, a little miffed at being interrupted but understanding the reason. "I just saw him and Dr. Possible leave not fifteen minutes ago. Although, if it were me, I would've..."

"Ok, thank you, bye!" Kim called behind her as she sped back out of the lobby, leaving Nancy's words in her mouth. She shot a glare after the teen before her phone rang and she got back to work.

Kim ran out through the doors, scanning the road and sidewalk for her ride/boyfriend. She spotted Eric limping slightly up the side walk towards the entrance and walked briskly towards him.

"Lets go." Kim said as she walked past him.

"What? Why?" Eric whirled around on the spot.

"Ron's not here anymore." Kim explained, slowing her pace but not stopping. "Mom took him home, so we need to go."

"Kim..." Eric said. "I was hoping I could get my foot checked out. It hurts and my shoe feels sticky... I think it bled a bit."

"No time, we have to go." Kim shot him down, again. "Besides, mom can check it once we get home."

"But..." Eric tried to protest, but the look on Kim's face told him how pointless that would be. He threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine. Where's the parking booth? I need to pay." He asked, holding up the stub for the parking.

"We don't need to." Kim said, gesturing for him to hurry. "So long as we leave within fifteen minutes, its free. So hurry!" She ran ahead towards the lot.

"Yeah, yeah." Eric said, limping after her. Tonight was not going as he had hoped. Not at all.

X

Anne drove through the streets of Middleton with great care. She scrutinized he smooth surface of the road ahead, looking for unseen potholes or bumps so as not to hurt her fragile passenger.

Ron sat in the passenger's seat with the back rest tilted backwards a bit for comfort, but not quite laying down. His sword rested between his legs, lightly held by his limp arm. He dozed on and off, consciousness constantly drifting.

Anne glanced at him constantly, making sure nothing was wrong when he started humming a familiar tune. It wasn't a song she had heard recently, but she had heard it. Thinking for a few minutes as she carefully drove over a speed bump she remembered.

"That's he song Kim sung." She said. "At the talent show, isn't it?"

"Hmn?" Ron wondered groggily, he hadn't caught that. "What?"

"That song you were humming." She repeated her question. "It the one Kim sung at the talent show, right?"

"Ah..." Ron answered. "Yeah. Sort of."

"What do you mean?" She inquired further, curious.

"Um..." Ron tried to organize his thoughts, having a hard time of it. "It's... um... Sort of the song. I wrote that one for her. But she sorta changed it. Don't think she even noticed. I didn't." Ron was silent for a few minutes, mulling over something. "I guess... I sorta knew it, even then... or felt it, you know. Somewhere..."

"Felt what?" She asked him. She could tell this was something important. Maybe something he wouldn't normally share if not for how tired his mind was. That and the fact that the pain killers he had been given caused some extreme drowsiness.

She waited for him to answer. When he didn't she spared another glance and saw that he had drifted off again. She sighed, it was rare getting the children to share like that nowadays...

"Hey, Mrs. P?" Ron said, his hoarse voice laced with exhaustion. His mind was drifting, going from thought to thought. This time, as it often had the past few weeks, it landed on the subject of Kim. A conversation they'd had a few days ago to be specific. With his inhibitions currently sleeping on the job, he decided to talk about it.

"Yes?" Anne answered softly.

"What..." He began, the surge of emotions making the words catch in his throat. "What does it mean... to grow up?" He asked.

They came up to a stop sign and Anne took the chance to study his face. Even through the bandages and swelling she could tell there was sorrow there. Real, actual sorrow, not any of the 'My life is, like, over.' fake teenager crap. She considered her next words carefully, but it turned out she didn't need to. She either took too long to answer or Ron had never expected her to.

"Does it..." He went on. "Does it mean we have to grow apart?" He turned his head up, looking at the ceiling of the car as if he could see past it to the sky above. "Cause if it does, then I... I don't want it." His voice grew fainter, the weight of his emotions burning through whatever dregs of energy he had been clinging to. "I don't want any of it..."

Anne watched as he dozed off again, stuck somewhere between wakefulness and sleep.

"Oh, Ron." Was all Anne could say. As saddening as it was to watch one whom she considered a son suffer like this... sometimes growing up meant exactly that. She had seen it happen around her and had even experienced it herself with a number of friends.

She had hoped Kim and Ron would be spared such a thing. And it certainly had seemed like they would, seeing as their friendship had survived and endured through most of high school. Heavens knew that was where such friendships often shriveled up and died.

And as much as she wanted to stop what was happening, she firmly believed that some things had to be experienced. Even if they were painful and hard to watch, being sheltered from such things might be worse in the long run.

She would help them as much as she could, of course. Give advice when asked, and be there when they fall to patch them up and urge them to keep going. Sometimes that was all a parent could do.

Anne looked back to the road, she had been idling for quite some time. She gently stepped on the gas and sent them back on their way.

The rest of he trip home was done in silence. Anne mindful of very bump on the road and thinking of the future while Ron would occasionally hum a tune she didn't recognize.

They pulled up to the Stoppable's driveway, where James was already waiting for them. Anne had called ahead and explained the situation. As soon as she had parked the car James was at the passenger's side door.

"Ronald..." James nearly whispered. Anne had told him about the state he was in. But hearing it and seeing it were two different things. "Come on..." He said, helping Ron out of the car. "Lets get you to bed."

"Hmn..." Was as much of a response as Ron could muster at the moment. Most of his energies went to moving his limbs. He was so tired... so sleepy...

James and Anne maneuvered Ron out of the car with great care, supporting him from both inside and outside the car. Ron tried to help out but his only working hand had stitches and only one foot could hold any shifted Ron sideways so that his legs hung over the edge of the seat. James had a firm hold on Ron's left forearm with his left hand while the right stood ready to grip him by the waist.

"Ok..." James said, getting ready. "One. Two... Three!" He pulled Ron out of the car, draping him over his shoulders and griping his waist for support

Ron grunted at the movement, the action sending flashes of pain through the haze in his mind. At the same time the Lotus Blade clanged noisily out of the car and onto the concrete of the driveway.

"Ma swor..." Ron mumbled after James had taken him a few steps away.

"Don't worry Ronald." James soothed, taking great care with each step they took. "We'll get it for..."

"Whoa..." Tim interrupted his father's thought processes.

"Boys..." James said warningly. They were supposed to be asleep in one of the Stoppable's guest bedrooms.

"Is Ron ok?" Jim asked with worry on his voice that echoed across their faces.

"No..." James said with a sigh. He shouldn't have expected any less from the boys. "But he will be, with time."

"Can we help?" Tim asked, while they moved closer to get a better look.

James made to answer when the engine of a motorcycle cut through the air. Along with her daughters voice, witch sounded so much like her mothers when she was especially angry with him that he flinched involuntarily.

"Why do you keep driving so slow?!" Kim said as she and Eric pulled up to the house.

"Kim..." Eric said, parking his bike along the gutter and sounding like he was reaching the end of his patience. "It's called a speed limit. It's. The. Law."

Kim, of course, hadn't heard a word. She had jumped off the bike before it had even stopped and ran up the hill the house rested on, leaving him to grumble. She ran all the way up to where Ron stood, leaning most of his weight on James.

"Kimmie-cub..." James said, taking in his daughter. Her red hair was a disheveled mess no bird would take as a nest. Her eyes were practically bugging out of their sockets with how fast she was looking over Ron and her chest was heaving from the short run up the hill, witch was strange since she was in incredible shape.

Kim looked at Ron, trying to take in his visage but refusing to comprehend what her eyes saw. Her mouth hung halfway open while various emotions warred in her mind, each demanding to be expressed first.

There was relief at finally reaching him. Horror and concern at the state she found him in. Guilt at knowing that first call she silenced probably led to this. Anger at him for not coming to get her and even more for not waiting for her to catch up. And then a sixth she couldn't even identify.

Kim stood there, saying nothing, long enough for Ron to register what James had said and look up.

"H-Hey, KP." He said, rounding up some energy he didn't know was left and looking up. "How was the dance?" There was probably something better to say, but that was all he had at the moment.

"The... wha... you..." Kim impersonated a scratched up disc.

Ron's mood plummeted for the third time that night... or was it fourth? He couldn't tell anymore. And he couldn't ignore it anymore either. There was no driving, primal need to wrench his mind from the topic. No children wanting to sing and dance and forget their own troubles to distract him. There were no more distractions from this purple elephant in his life, especially with its ass so close to his face.

"Whoa..." The Ass farted. Erm, Eric said. "Dude, are you ok?"

Ron glared at him for a few moments before his mind caught something.

"Are you..." Ron said, ignoring his question. "Are you... wearing my clothes, man?"

"What?" Eric said, blinking at Ron's ton and sudden question. He looked down and gripped his still damp shirt. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry, I didn't have anything to wear. Don't worry,though, I'll wash them before I give them back."

"Nah..." Ron said after staring for a few moments. He visibly deflated, leaning whatever of his weight he had been supporting against James and making him grunt. "You keep that."

"Really?" He asked, not sure of what to say.

"Yeah..." Ron said, his head drooping. There had been a flash of anger, and it had burnt up whatever fumes he had left in his tank. He had nothing left. Lost it all. "Id'z juss... burnz em... voodoo..." He was so tired. So drained. He just wanted to sleep, now. To forget. And what was stopping him anyway? Zzzzzzzzz.

"Whoa, there." James grunted when Ron practically fell and he had to keep him up by himself. James wasn't exactly an unfit man, but he most certainly couldn't be called fit either.

"Oh!..." Kim exclaimed, concern winning the battle within. She jump towards him ready to hold him up but her hands stopped inches from his body. "Uh..." Where could she grip him and not hurt him? He was bandaged everywhere, did that mean he was hurt everywhere? She could see the discolored skin that marked a bruise peeking out of the edges... Her dad held him by his unbandaged left arm, but the right one was bandaged completely and in a sling and looked... plump? Why did it look plump? Ron's arms weren't plump...

"Don't worry Kimmie-cub."James told her reassuringly. "I've got him. Boys, get the doors for me, please." He told the twins who who ran up he steps of the entryway, eager to help. "You should let your mother have a look at that arm, sweetie."

James ambled off towards the house leaving Kim blinking with her hands up, unsure of what to do with them. She looked to her side where Anne stood, staring a hole into bandaged arm.

"Oh!" James said from the top of the steps, just remembering. "Could you get Ronald's sword? He dropped it by the car."

"Sword?" Kim said, confused. "What sword? Ron doesn't have a sword." She said as Anne walked up to her and took up her arm. Looking over it critically.

"It's over by the passengers side door." Anne said, not looking up from the arm while she carefully undid the bandages. "Eric, could you be a dear and get it while I check Kim's arm?"

"Yes ma'm." Eric said, moving off to do as told.

"But, mom." Kim said. "Ron has never even touched a sword. He definitely doesn't own one. I would know." She looked over to where Anne had said the sword was, but it was in the shadow of the car.

"Maybe he got it recently." Anne said, taking off the tapped gauze and looking over the wound. She nodded, satisfied and redid the bandages. "You haven't spending as much time together as you used to."

"Well, yeah." Kim said, conceding the point. "But he would have still told me if he..."

A crack like that of a whip cut her off.

"Augh!" Eric cried in pain.

"Eric?" Kim said looking to where her boyfriend lay on his back beside the car, griping his hand. "Eric! What's wrong?" She ran to him, dropping to her knees and looking him over for the source of his pain.

"The sword." He said, still griping his arm tightly while sitting up. His hand shaking. "It... It shocked me!"

"What?" Kim asked, confused. She looked towards Eric's feet. There, in the shadow of the car lay a sword. It looked almost black in the shadows of the night.

That's Ron's? She wondered, reaching out to pick it up.

"Careful!" Eric cautioned her, he wasn't holding his hand anymore but it was still shaking.

Kim hesitated for a moment before giving the sword a quick, light tap.

"..." Nothing happened.

"Wha...?" Eric said, looking confusedly at the sword.

Kim reached out again letting her fingers linger on the hilt. Still nothing happened.

It feels warm... She thought. The ground was damp and cold and the night air was arid. But the sword felt pleasantly warm to he touch. She grabbed it by its sheath and moved to stand.

"Ugh!" Kim exclaimed as her arm was nearly pulled out of its socket. "Wha...?"

She looked down at the sword. The sword she had just tried to pick up but had failed. She pulled again and again the sword stayed put, not budging a centimeter. She pulled harder using both her arms and grunting with the effort yet the sword refused to lift. Her wound was starting to sting.

"Kimmie." Anne said, walking up to the teens. "What are you doing?"

"Its stuck." Kim explained, giving up with a grunt.

"And it shocked me." Eric added.

"What?" Anne said, confused. "Don't be silly. There's nothing there for it to get stuck on and Ron has been carrying it around all night." She said, bending down herself to pick it up.

"Hmn?" Anne said when the sword refused to move. She frowned and gripped the hilt which stood off the ground thanks to the guard and could be grasped securely. She pulled hard but the sword might as well had been a fixture of the driveway, made of the same concrete. "That's odd..."

"What is?" James asked, having returned from Ron's room and from putting the boys to sleep again.

"Ron's sword seems to have stuck to the driveway." Anne told him.

"Really?" James said, eyeing the sword. He walked up to it and bent down to try himself. After a brief grunting effort he stood back up. "Yep, that's on there all right. Odd, I didn't see anything on the ground before." He mused.

"Why was I the only one shocked?" Eric asked. He flexed the fingers of his hand, the uncomfortable tingling finally fading away.

"Shocked?" James inquired.

"Yeah." Eric nodded and gestured to the sword. "The second I touched it it electrocuted me." He rubbed his hand. He bent again and tapped the sheath. Nothing happened. With a frown he went to grip the hilt. He hadn't even tried to lift it yet...

"Interesting." James mused. "Perhaps it was some sort of residual electrical discharge. It could be related to why it's..."

Crack. And a flash of blue energy.

"Ack!" Eric jumped backwards and landed on his back, holding his twitching right arm. "Ow, ow, ow. Ow! That... that one hurt worse..." He said through clenched teeth.

"Eric!" Kim went to him and bent down. She removed the glove from his hand and checked for any electrical burns. There were none.

"Cool." Jim said.

James and Anne looked behind them to see the twins. Obviously not in bed and with a familiar gleam in their eyes that gave them cause for concern.

"Boys..." Anne began, trying to head them off.

"The energy didn't look electrical." Tim said. They quickly converged on the sword. "What do you think it is?"

"No idea." Jim said, touching the sword's hilt before their parents could stop them. "It's warm to the touch. Built in energy source?"

"Hmn." Tim nodded to the possibility. "Maybe an anti theft system. Sheath doesn't seem to be included and it appears to choose who it defends against. Threat assessment matrix?"

"Boys..." James tried to intervene before it was too late.

"Maybe, but..." Jim gripped the hilt with both hands and pulled. He gave up with a huff. "It seems to choose how to defend, not against who... gravity tether?"

"The energy source would have to be massive..." Tim said.

"Boys!" James called to them sternly, snapping them out of their thoughts. "Absolutely no experimentation of any sort on any of Ronald's possessions. And especially while we are staying in the Stoppable's home. 'Guest House' rules are in effect. Understood?"

Jim and Tim looked up at the parents stern expressions. They blinked in unison.

"Boys." Anne said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Understood." They said, stepping past their parents dejectedly.

"Higahickla?" Jim asked his brother

"Zingzing." Tom answered.

The twins headed back into he house. Anne held the bridge of her nose and sighed while James covered his eyes. They were too tired to deal with this tonight. They would discuss proper countermeasures tomorrow.

"Alright." James said, clapping his hands together. "Time for bed everyone. It's been one doozy of a night and its way past everyone's curfew" And with that he made to walk back inside when a blue sedan drove up and parked in front of the house next to Eric's Bike.

Two women stepped out of the car, both wearing matching blue uniforms. They walked up the front steps and made a beeline towards James.

"Dr. Possible?" One of them said. A woman with a sharp nose, hazel eyes and long, windswept hair of black and gray, despite the fact that she couldn't be more than thirty.

"Yes?" James answered courtly, he had been involved in enough of Kimmie-cub's missions to guess where this might be going.

"I am Special Agent Daring Du of Global Justice" She said showing her ID then gesturing to the woman beside her. "This is my temporary partner, Probationary Agent Rayne B. Dash." Rayne showed her ID. "We would like to ask you some questions regarding the theft and subsequent use of Project: Hephaestus by one Drew Lipsky, better known as Dr. Drakken."

"Of course." James said, nodding. He knew this would happen the moment Ron had shown him those scans. "This way." He said gesturing to the house.

"And also." She said, looking at Kim "If its not too much trouble, we would like to debrief Miss Possible on tonight's events."

"Of course." Kim said, standing up from where she had been kneeling and nodding to the agent. She was more than familiar with GJ protocol. "You said your last name was Du? Are you related to Will Du?"

"My kid brother." She acknowledged. "I would like to thank you for watching over him during your joint mission, Miss Possible."

"No Big." Kim said, acknowledging the complement.

James led the agents inside, meanwhile Anne walked to where Eric sat on the ground holding his shaking arm. She knelt down and took his hand.

"Hmn." She said, analyzing his hand. First one side then the other. "Does it still hurt?" She asked, gently squeezing his hand in various places.

"Not anymore." Eric answered. "Just a tingling sensation all over. The first time it was just in my hand though."

"I see." Anne said, running her hands over the length of his arm. "Well, there doesn't appear to be any damage. If I hadn't seen it myself I'd say it had never happened."

"Oh, good." Eric said, relieved. He had been afraid this ordeal had managed to mark more than just his bike. "Could you, um, also check my foot? I stepped on something sharp during the mission."

Anne nodded, gesturing for Eric to take off his shoe. The cut was shallow and had bled some but it was nothing to worry about so long as he kept it clean.

"Well." Anne said, standing up and dusting her hands. "I'm going to look for something to cover the sword with. Least we can do if we can't get it inside." She walked towards the house, leaving them alone.

They stood there, or sat in Eric' case, in an awkward silence.

"Well..." Eric said, standing up while flexing his arm. The tingling was beginning to subside. "I guess this is it, huh? Mission accomplished?"

"Sort of..." Kim said, looking back at the house. She'd already figured they would be staying here. Taking refuge in the Stoppable house from Jim and Tim's more catastrophic experiments was becoming a tradition. So it made sense that thy would now. "Not so much 'Mission Accomplished' as 'Mission Over'." She looked to the ground with a frown. "We didn't really do much."

"My bike would beg to differ." Eric said with a chuckle.

Kim looked to the bike. Even from a distance she could see all the nicks and scratches to the once pristine paint-job. There where even bits of dirt and grass stuck in places.

"Yeah..." Kim said, wincing. "About that. I'm sorry." Kim placed her hands in his and he took them. "About the bike and... how I acted tonight. I'm not usually that frazzled during a mission." She finished with a chuckle.

"Hey, I get it." Eric said. "Friend in trouble. Wouldn't have expected otherwise from a famed teen hero."

"Thanks for understanding." She said with genuine gratitude. Most would have already run for the hills. She might have just found a keeper...

"Um..." She began, reluctant to break contact with her boyfriend. "I need to go speak with those agents..."

"Say no more." Eric said, letting go of her hands. "Dad's probably worried sick anyway, so I should definitely head home right away."

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Kim asked, hopefully.

"Possibly." Eric answered, smiling at his bad pun. "Though it will be in the afternoon. I'm sleeping in tomorrow." He said the last part while stretching his back, cracking some bones. It had been a long night.

"Until tomorrow then..." She closed in and gave him a peck on the cheek. It wasn't the type kiss she wanted, but it would do for now. She was determined to make that first kiss perfect. And tired after a stressful mission was not it.

"Until tomorrow." Eric said back with a smile. He walked off towards his bike and mounted. After starting it and giving it a few revs he spared one last look at Kim before driving off for home.

Kim waved him off until he took the curve at the bottom of the hill and was out of sight.

"So..." Anne said, having returned with some plastic wrap from the kitchen. "You took Eric on a mission? Isn't it a bit soon for that? Not to mention dangerous."

"I thought so too." Kim said, turning to her mother. "But it was sort of... necessary. Besides, he handled himself well. Didn't panic... much." Kim frowned, trying to remember how, exactly, Eric had handled himself and coming up strangely blank. "I think..." She finished lamely.

Kim watched her mother lay plastic wrap over the sword. It looked silly, wrapping a weapon like that as if it were a sandwich... a dangerous weapon...

"Mom..." Kim said, walking to her mother and squatting beside her to get a better look at the sword. "Does it really belong to Ron?" She was still skeptical, Ron would've told her of he had suddenly gotten the urge to buy a sword. He told her everything.

"He had it with him when he left for the mission." Anne said. "Along with his new mission clothes. He looked very impressive. But Kimmie..." Anne paused in her wrapping to give Kim a quizzical look. "Didn't you see it when he went to get you for the mission? He had it strapped to his back, so it was hard to miss."

"Um..." Kim said, brows furrowing in anger. "He never came to get me."

"What?" Anne asked for clarification.

"He never came." Kim repeated. She got up and started pacing back and forth, everything meshing together and spilling out of her in one massive wave of emotion. "He got it into his head to go on the mission alone. What kind of idea is that! As if the last he went alone on a mission ended well. And... ok, so maybe, in hindsight, I shouldn't have silence the Kimmunicator when Wade called. But, come on! Is one night as a normal girl going to prom with her boyfriend too much to ask? No! It's not like someone told me Drakken had a really good, potentially world ending scheme that was going to happen tonight. It's not like I need to pause my life and wait for a call that might not come. And Ron! He should have come to get me! Not go and get hurt then make Wade crash prom... and I mean literally, through the skylight... so that he can tell me so that I can go only for him to be ok but a little beat up. Then I told Wade to tell him to wait for me, because these two Diablos dropped from the sky and were chasing us but he didn't wait and kept on going! Why wouldn't he wait! If he had waited then the three of us could've surprised Drakken and Shego and we would have stopped their plot without him having to get to getso hurt! Why didn't he just wait!"

Kim stopped pacing at the same time her rant ran its course. She stood there, staring at nothing with her chest heaving as if her lungs couldn't get air fast enough.

"Mom..." Kim said after she got her breathing under some control. She looked to her mother pleadingly. "He's ok right? I-It just looks bad but he's not that seriously hurt, right? That's why he doesn't need to stay at the hospital, right?" Why didn't I just answer... She thought.

"Kim..." Anne said, walking close to her daughter and placing her hands firmly on Kim's shoulders to steady her and locked eyes. She chose her next words carefully, she could tell Kim's nerves were uncharacteristically frayed. "Ron... is very hurt. His wounds are extensive and varied. If it were up to me I would have kept him at the hospital for the next two months. Unfortunately his... Attending Physician believed otherwise and approved his discharge. But..." She said quickly, felling Kim starting to shake and seeing her bottom lip tremble. "He was very lucky. He doesn't need anything other than rest to recover. Whatever drugs he will be taking will be purely preventive."

Kim stopped shaking as relief flooded her mind. He was hurt... but he was going to be ok. Anne moved her right hand and cupped Kim's cheek, whipping away a lonely tear that had managed to escape with her thumb.

"If you made a mistake like you said you did." Anne said with the warm smile and tender eyes of a mother. "And by the sound of it both of you did. Then be glad it ended the way it did, because it could've been much worse, and learn from it."

Kim lost herself in her mothers blue eyes. In the warmth of the hand that framed her face. She was suddenly a little girl again, being soothed by her mother after waking up from a nightmare. She leaned her face into her hand, all the tension, stress and anxiety that had built up from the moment Wade had told her about Ron fading away and leaving her drained, but better.

"Ok...*sniff*" Kim said, composing herself with a nod. "Ok." She steeled her resolve. Something like this would never happen again.

"That's my girl." Anne said. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a hanky, holding it up to her nose. "Now blow..."

"Moooom..." Kim complained, snatching the kerchief from her hand and doing it herself.

X

Sshhhh...

A sound like static filled his ears. His sight was filled by a mesh of indistinguishable gray. Fat, heavy drops of water fell onto his face, arms, legs, body... everywhere.

It was raining, hard, and he was getting soaked. For some reason the water on streaming down his face felt warmer than anywhere else.

He didn't really care though.

Sshhhh...

A slight chill was starting to creep into his bones. He should really get up... get out of the rain. He might actually catch a cold at this rate. He really couldn't handle a cold right now... on top of everything else.

With what he, at the moment, equated to gargantuan effort, he went through the process of getting up off the wet, grassy ground.

Sshhhh...

The rain continued to fall, heavy and cold. Once up he looked to the side and noticed the blurred shape of the giant tree some ways away, the thick canopy holding back most of he rain. Apparently, whatever had taken it upon itself to repeatedly drop him on his ass into this place had dumped him just outside the tree's cover.

Rude.

Sshhhh...

He slushed his way towards the tree, each step splashing wetly against the ground. He liked this place better when it was sunny, or even when it was cloudy. The heavy rain made him feel... heavy, he supposed. But it had to rain sometime, somewhere. Just his luck.

Stepping into the cover of the tree was akin to surfacing out of a pool. Behind him was a veritable wall of heavy rain while the tree's branches reduced to a light shower. The improvement made him feel slightly better.

Sshhhh...

He looked up at the tree, warm and cold water still streaming down his face. He still felt that inexplicable love for it, if a bit subdued due to the heavy rain. He just wanted to curl up at its roots and stay there.

...

Sshhhh...

He walked towards the base of the trunk. Once there he found a good enough spot between two protruding roots, which happened to be right under where he had felt something carved into the bark, he leaned his back against it and let himself drop with a wet squelch. Yep, this would do. He could've looked for the stairs, gone up into the tree. But he didn't feel like doing much of anything right now.

So he just sat there, staring into the wall of water he had come out of. Raindrops continued to fall on him while he tried not to think on what he had just lost. Of course when one tried not to think about something one's brain never did cooperate. And still, the warm rainwater streamed down his face... even though it was cold everywhere else...

Sshhhh...

That was it... he had been irrefutably replaced, then. Not only had she taken Eric on a mission, she had given him his mission clothes. His mission clothes. The ones he and she had picked out together, although bought from different suppliers. They had agreed to disagree on that part.

But... those were their mission clothes. Clothes they used to go on missions together!

That meant something, even to him! And he was the one who didn't care about clothes! But she had just... given them away... It was his last set too...

It... it was wrong. It was sick. It... It... It...

That fucking b...

Splosh. Splosh. Splosh. Splosh. Splosh.

The sound of heavy footsteps on the wet ground snapped him out of his thoughts before they could finish forming.

He looked in front of him to see the yellow and white hulking blur that was he mystery giant man that came as a mystery set with the mystery giant tree of mystery valley. It was all so... mysterious.

The mysterious giant stopped right in front of him and looked down at him... at least he thought he did. Even up close he was still too blurred to tell. But there was nothing else to see so...

"Sup, dude. *sniff*" Ron greeted morosely, the affection for the guy was still there. But like with the tree, it was subdued. Somehow less than before. "Nice weather were having."

The giant stared silently.

"Hope you don't mind if If I crash here for a while..." Ron said, looking back up at the tree. "I know this is your place and all. But I don't know how to get out and I don't want to get hid again. Already have a big enough bump and some stitches on that spot..."

He just stood there, motionless. Silent.

"Thanks man, knew you'd understand. *sniff*" Ron said. "Always good talking to ya. Enlightening." He made to look back up at the tree but movement from the giant caught his attention.

He reached up to his head and pulled the thing again. It got bigger and longer in his hands.

"Whoa there dude, I said I..." Ron started but the giant suddenly struck. "...dun wanna ge'hit! Agh!" Ron cowered in a rush, shutting his eyes and covering his head with his hands. Something like thunder exploded right above his head, tremors running up and down the tree and through the ground. "I going to get brain damage at this rate... huh?" Ron looked up, wondering at the absence of pain and at the sound.

To his relief he saw that he hadn't been hit on the head again. To his horror he found that the giant had hit the tree.

...

"What have you done?!" Ron howled at the giant, scrambling to his feet and clawing at the thing, which seemed to be a staff by the feel of it. He pulled at it hard, trying to pull it out of the tree. The giant had hit it hard. He could still feel the tremors running through the tree.

The giant finally pulled it out, nearly lifting Ron away with it. But he let himself drop and rushed to the spot where the tree had been hit. He ran his hands all over the bark, trying to feel out the damage or the stickiness of tree sap. To his immense relief, there was no damage he could feel. The bark seemed to have held... sturdy stuff.

He turned around and got ready to pounce on the giant. The wind was starting to pick up.

"What the hell were you... hack!" Something flew into his mouth and sent Ron into a coughing fit. After a few dry heaves Ron coughed up the unidentified choking hazard. Looking at the small mass of green, the feel of which told him it was a leaf. He stared at it confusion.

"What th... gah!" Another landed over his eye, Ron quickly pick it off and tried to flick it but the leaf appeared to be stuck. So was the first one.

"What's going on?!" Ron panicked. Leaves were being carried by the rising wind and assaulting him, sticking all over his body.

Ron looked up at the tree and paled, eyes widening. He could see a smallish mass of green moving differently than the branches, getting bigger. Closer.

"Ahhhhhh!" He screamed trying to run away but the leaves struck fast and hard, pushing him back onto the tree and down to the spot he had been sitting at before.

"Tres." The giant finally said. He hadn't moved a centimeter.

"This is not cool dude!" Ron yelled at him as the leaves covered him from head to toe like a cocoon and held him down. "No... not... coo..." He stammered before the darkness filled his vision and his thoughts seized.

X

Dr. Rodriguez walked down a barely lit hall. He was surrounded by heavy curtains that separated one patients space from an others.

Finally... He thought. Finally, he could begin. He hadn't been lying to Dr. Possible when he had said that being kept idle had cost him more than few nights sleep. The was o much work to be done.

But finally, he could begin. ClassicWith Dr. Possible being brought into the fold, all be it unwillingly, things could finally move forward. The other doctors of the board could be easily... swayed. Dr. Possible had been the lynch pin that had held him fast.

But now, with her cooperation assured, things could move apace. And if she refused to cooperate, well... measures were already in place to handle such an event. However unfortunate the loss would be.

He stopped at one of the curtains and gently pulled it open.

The person that accompanied the patient sat beside the bed on a recliner, she appeared to be the patients mother. She looked up at the sound of the curtain being pulled, a question on her eyes.

Dr. Rodriguez gave her his most disarming smile and walked inside. He mouthed the words 'Check Up' along with a relaxing gesture and the woman relaxed, smiling in return.

He walked to the foot of the bed and looked over the charts that hung there. Once he was satisfied he gave the mother one last smile before turning around and leaving, pulling the curtains closed as he left.

"Can I help you, Doctor?" A nurse asked him in a sharp whisper, making no effort to hide how little she thought the title suited him.

Dr. Rodriguez turned around to face her with a charming smile.

"No thank you, Nurse Joan." Dr. Rodriguez said, recognizing the woman. "I am simply... browsing."

To Be Continued...

A/N: Well I guess thats it huh. That covers the events of "So the Drama" so I should just stop here... Nah.

Get ready folks, for this was merely the first ark...can it be called aan ark? I mean it only cover like six hourse of in-story time... nearly 100k words to cover six hours of happenigs... wow

Anyway, be ready for now that I'm not hampered by following canon rails, things will be speeding up. I am going to re-write the entire final season. Missions will be revised, mentioned or downright tossed into oblivion (I'm looking at YOU, Mister "Eat Your Veggies: episode") So look forward to it.

Also I would like to not apologize for the first scene in this chapter, so many were expecting someone else to be the shadow... but that was never gonna happen, muahahahaha. Ah, I laughed maniacly so hard so many times. I just couldn't resist once the idea popped into my head. Classic.

Well, till the next one. Look to my profile for updates on my progress.

PS: Forgot to mention, the first scene wa inspired by the begginnning of the Fearless Ferret episode. I think it says something when sick and injured children exclaim at Rufus's arrival (and therefore Ron's, by association) instead of Kim's. Just saying.

Also yes, the appearance Daring Du and Rayne B. Dash is a shout out to any Brony's that are reading my fic. MLP: FiM is one of the few shows that have come out recently actually worth a watch. Proud Brony right here!